La VĂ­a Campesina, CETIM, and FIAN International organized a side event to the 34th session of the Human Rights Council:

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"Why is the right to food sovereignty crucial for European peasantsÂ ?"

15-march-2017, Palais des Nations, Geneva

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This Event is part of the Hands on the Land Campaign, an education and awareness raising campaign carried out with the financial support of the European Union.

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Hemmeler

Moderator

Nardi SuxoBolivia

Ramona Duminicioiu

Roumania

Lynne Davis

Great Britain

Alexis Corthay

Switzerland

Olivier de Schutter

Switzerland

Debate

Today, there are about 1.2 billion peasants worldwide, and with their families they represent one third of the world's population. In absolute terms, there are more peasants nowadays than there have ever been before. Farmers and other rural workers are essential to food sovereignty and the realization of the right to food. Peasant farmers provide up to 80% of the food consumed locally while owning only 25% of agricultural land; thatâ€™s a real efficiency!

Farmers and other rural workers are among the most vulnerable and discriminated groups. They are victims of multiple systematic violations of their human rights and suffer disproportionately from hunger and poverty: 75% per cent of people living in extreme poverty and 80% of the world's hungry people live and work in rural areas.

Following the recommendations of its Advisory Committee, the Human Rights Council decided in 2012 (with the resolution A/HRC /21/19) to establish an intergovernmental working group to elaborate and adopt a Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and other people working in rural areas. The working group held three negotiating sessions (2013, 2015, 2016) and the next one will be held from 15-19 May 2017.

Among the various articles of the Declaration, Article 15 concerns the Right to Food Sovereignty. At this side-event we wish to explain why the recognition of this right is essential for the sustainability of agriculture in our countries and regions, guaranteeing a quality and sufficient production for the whole population.

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Speakers:

S.E. Mrs. Nardi Suxo IturreAmbassador, Permanent representative Mission of Plurinational State of Bolivia to the UN

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Mrs. Ramona DuminicioiuEcoruralis, Roumania

Mrs. Lynne Davis

Land workers alliance, United Kingdom

Mr. Alexis CorthayUniterre, Switzerland

Mr. Olivier de Schutter (video message)Member of the Economic Social and Cultural Rights Commitee of the UN